


During the 24 hours

by Epoxide (MiyuTanemura)



Category: Kingsman: The Secret Service (2015)
Genre: Established Relationship, Fix-It, M/M, Somewhat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-21
Updated: 2015-08-21
Packaged: 2018-04-16 11:21:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,178
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4623447
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MiyuTanemura/pseuds/Epoxide
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>During the 24 hours that Harry got to spend with Eggsy he realized something about the nature of his protege. And with that realization he could easily predict the outcome of the final test...</p>
            </blockquote>





	During the 24 hours

**Author's Note:**

> This fic was written for the following [prompt](http://dressing-room3.livejournal.com/405.html?thread=562069#t562069) on the Kingsman Kink Meme:
> 
> I need Eggsy telling Harry about not being able to run over the fox and having to crash the yellow car, I need Harry realizing that there is a big chance that Eggsy will fail the next challenge and before they part ways I need Harry to reassure Eggsy that he is proud of him for how far he has gotten and how he would make a great addition to the Knights, but if for some reason Roxy is the one that becomes Lancelot he is not going to abandon Eggsy, they can find a position for him within the organisation. I need Eggsy to know that Harry isn't angry at him before Harry goes to Kentucky  
> (gen or Hartwin, don't care either way. It can be Harry doesn't die or he dies or not be mentioned at all)
> 
> I just decided to post it on AO3 now. And needless to say that I don't own anything.

The twenty-four hours with the mentor were nearly at an end. It was after dinner when Eggsy and Harry went to the living-room, the kitchen left pristine behind them.

The atmosphere between them was relaxed, the wine that had been drunk making the limbs looser and their tempers more mellow.

They were both sitting on the sofa, on opposite sides, two tumblers with two fingers of whiskey sat on coasters on the coffee table. As conversation started flowing once more, thoughts and more experiences were shared. And then Eggsy was describing the events that had landed him in jail the night before he had met Harry.

“It was awesome, bruv, the way I showed the cops how to drive. It was insane!” Eggsy was sitting straight, turned towards Harry, one foot underneath himself while the other still remained on the floor. “And I coulda’ve continued doing it – you should have seen the coppers’ furious faces, we were laughing at them so much – but then I saw the fox!”

Eggsy’s hands fell on his thighs, having been thrown into the hair in frustration for a moment. “I couldn’t hit it – ‘t would be death for sure so I turned the steering wheel and we went against a parked car. They told me that I should have run it over but, nah, I can’t do it, you know?” Eggsy leaned forward towards Harry who seemed to have become frozen stiff. “Anythin’ the matter?”

Harry shook his head and hurried to dispel the confused look from his protégé’s face.

“No, nothing. I just did not expect that. Why would you risk the car and you and your friends’ lives and freedom just because of an animal?”

“Wot?” Eggsy’s frown grew. “Ain’t fair to kill an innocent and keep playin’ around. ‘s one thing that doesn’t make sense. Don’t it says in the posh book?”

Harry took his time to lean forward and pick up his glass, he fell back onto his previous position and swirled its contents around, taking his time to answer the question. Because, yes, morally one shouldn’t take an innocent life but sometimes it was a necessary evil. A few lives for the global good.

This nuance of his protégé was unexpected and possibly not in the good way because… there was still the last test to be taken and Harry knew what it was, having passed it himself, and so he was starting to think that Eggsy’s chances of passing it were small.

“Yes, you should protect the innocent lives, but you must know that what we do sometimes goes to more morally grey areas. And you must think quickly and on your feet. As a Kingsman you need to follow orders.”

“But there must be a way around it!” Eggsy countered.

Harry placed the untouched glass on the coaster, leaning back and extending his arm over the sofa’s back. Eggsy took in the silent invitation and shuffled closer so that he was laying with his side glued to Harry’s, the younger man’s head laying on the other’s shoulder.

“Sometimes there’s not.” Harry placed his hand on Eggsy’s free shoulder and squeezed.

After this, the conversation stilled, silence taking place in its stead. But neither felt that it was awkward or heavy.

Not long after, they headed to the bedroom, hushed words being exchanged but none loud enough so as to break the calm atmosphere that had fallen over the house.

#

On their walk towards the tailor shop Harry was sure that he would know the outcome of Eggsy’s test.

He was sure that Eggsy was going to fail.

It was amazing how underneath that rough exterior there was such a gentle and caring being. For the most Eggsy was perfect, he had what many other Kingsman agents had and even what they lacked but here that quality would handicap him. Still, he knew that he had to reinforce the good qualities to Eggsy, not let this young man lose himself among the petty environment he had grown up in. When they reached the road that led to the tailor shop Harry stopped. Eggsy pausing a pace ahead and looking back towards the taller man.

“Eggsy, I want you to know that I’m extremely proud of you. Not only for how far you’ve gotten and have shown the amount of skill and effort to succeed in every task at hand – which would make you a fantastic addition to Kingsman – but also,” he paused and looked straight at his protégé’s eyes one hand coming to rest on his shoulder, “but I also wanted to reiterate that if, by any reason, miss Morton is the one that fills the role of Lancelot, I will not give up on you. I will always be here for you. We can find some way for you to remain in the organization, some way for you to earn enough to improve your and your family’s living arrangements.”

Eggsy blinked and nodded slowly, one eyebrow arching up.

“Thanks, Harry. That means a lot.”

“Very well, let’s continue.” And they resumed their walk.

“So, are you gonna teach me how to talk proper? Like in My Fair Lady?” Eggsy asked with a cheeky smile.

If Harry weren’t a gentleman, he would have rolled his eyes.

#

Eggsy looked up and, yes, there was Harry, holding a tablet, face inscrutable. Eggsy threw a glare at him before getting out of the car, seeing that Harry had gone inside too.

He wasn’t looking forward to the conversation that was about to happen. Broodingly he entered the house and closed the door behind himself. Just a few steps inside and he could see Harry coming down the staircase, the same blank look on his face.

“Well?” he blurted out, waiting for the recrimination that was sure to follow. “I failed.”

Harry let out a sigh and came to a stop before the shorter man.

“Yes, you did.” The words hit Eggsy like knives but Harry continued, undeterred. “You threw away your biggest opportunity over a fucking dog. Is that what you want me to say?” he arched an eyebrow.

“I…” Eggsy was at a loss at what to say.

“Eggsy. It wasn’t a surprise for me.” Harry affirmed which made Eggsy gape. He continued. “From our conversation yesterday I knew that you weren’t going to pass the final test.” He shook his head slightly. “I want you to know that I’m not angry or disappointed. The fact that you care is important despite being a handicap in this line of work.” With that he turned on his heel and went upstairs, Eggsy going after him. “But now, you’ll have to excuse me. I just had a call from Merlin and I need to go to Kentucky.” He started undressing and then putting on his suit, swiftly, back towards Eggsy. When he was done he grabbed a briefcase that was at the foot of the bed and got ready to depart. He still took a moment to hold at Eggsy’s right hand with his free hand and gave a squeeze before pulling Eggsy forward so that he could curl one arm around the younger man’s back while said free hand came up to cradle the back of Eggsy’s head. “I promise that I’ll be back and sort everything out. I’ll take care of everything.” He gave a quick peck on Eggsy’s lips before stepping back. “Until then…” he grabbed his glasses from the suit’s pocket and put them on. “Feel free to stay.”

With that Harry descended the stairs and was out the house. The noise of the door closing was the signal for Eggsy’s legs to falter and he knelt by the rail on the top floor, hands still gripping the white material as he took ragged breaths.

 _Harry wasn’t mad at him_.

#

Two months had passed since the world had gone to hell.

Two months had passed since one of the most important persons in Eggsy’s life had gone.

Harry had told him that he was proud of him, that he wasn’t a disappointment and that despite having fucked up on the test – which, in Eggsy’s opinion was still inhuman – but he had still trusted him to have what it took to be a Kingsman agent.

Eggsy sure hoped so. It had been the idea of not being a disappointment to Harry that had pushed him to do what he had done. That if we was wearing the suit Harry had had made especially for him, he would be nearly infallible. And he did his best. He still did his best, so many months after everything.

But Eggsy was getting tired. Sometimes he paused to breathe and the air would make him feel as if it got stuck on his throat. He would have nightmares from which he woke up in panic.

At least he had managed to take his Mum and Daisy from that hole they had lived in. From Dean’s clutches. And the fact that a house had been assigned to Eggsy in one of the blocks owned by Kingsman also worked to ensure that he _knew_ that nothing wrong would happen to them while he was away.

Despite everything, Eggsy still went to Harry’s house. The meaningful looks Merlin had thrown at him had ended in a short and slightly uncomfortable conversation that managed to clear the air between them and had also ended with a certain key in Eggsy’s possession. The key to Harry’s house.

Inside of it, everything remained the same. Eggsy wouldn’t dare to touch in anything but he could notice that the scent on the things, the very air in the house was losing the lived-in, cosy feeling. It was losing Harry.

Eggsy sat on the sofa in an inelegant sprawl and thought about how Harry would tell him to sit up straight, how ungentlemanly he was being.

With a sigh and letting his head fall back until he was looking at the corner between ceiling and wall, Eggsy’s mind took him to the last time they had both been there. How Eggsy had ended up pressed to Harry’s side, an arm around him and seemingly warding him from all the bad things that could happen. The feeling of protection that he had only felt when he was beside Harry.

Eggsy bit his lower lip and closed his eyes, face scrunching as he fought with himself to regain his calm.

He knew that he couldn’t do anything to change how things were.

The noise coming from his glasses pulled Eggsy from his sombre thoughts as he hurried to answer. It had to be Merlin. Maybe it was a new mission? Since the world was in shambles they hadn’t had one moment to rest.

“Yeah, Merlin?” he asked.

“Eggsy, I need you to come to the mansion.” Merlin tried to deliver the sentence in a steady tone but Eggsy caught that something was off right away.

“Whas’appenin’?” Eggsy was out the door before he knew it.

“You need to be here. Come quickly.” Was the reply and then the connection went down.

Eggsy did his best to get to the shop as fast as he could, his hair a bit of a mess and his chest heaving. He nodded to whoever was behind the counter before heading to fitting room one, taking the tube and hurried to the mansion. Roxy was waiting for him and she also seemed to be shaken. Without a word she led him to the medical ward. Eggsy’s confusion only grew.

“Rox?” he asked.

“I don’t know what it is, Eggsy. Merlin just called me and told me to bring you here.” They paused before a room signed six. Roxy knocked on the door and Merlin’s muffled “come in” reached then. She opened the door and they entered.

Eggsy was rooted on the spot.

Before him, lying in the bed was Harry. He looked emaciated and had a bandage covering the left side of his head. But he was awake. And _looking_ at Eggsy!

“Harry!” Eggsy shot to Harry’s side, instantly pausing as he now noticed that there were more bandages on his body. He took a good look around before his gaze locked with Harry’s. “You’re here!” He looked at Merlin. “How?” He asked before looking back at Harry.

“Valentine was a bad shot. He hit me but the bullet grazed the side of my head. Bled like a pig and I was unconscious for too long but I’m here.” Harry spread out his hands over the white covers in a ‘ _here I am_ ’ motion.

Eggsy threw himself at Harry, his arms curling around the older agent as he tried to bite back his tears. “You’re back!” Eggsy’s voice came out in a muffled whisper.

Harry heard him and raised the hand that wasn’t trapped by Eggsy’s body and patted Eggsy on the back, before he grabbed at the fabric and pulled him closer.

 “I am. And I’m so proud of you and all you’ve done, Eggsy.”

At that point, Eggsy couldn’t really hold on his tears.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading. This fandom is just too amazing and so are the characters and how can anyone resist them?  
> Heh, I hope I haven't bombed the characters too badly. With this being my first story in this fandom and all...  
> Anyway, this story's unbetaed and not Brit-picked and Idek what I'm doing here. Hahaha...  
> Feedback would be nice. :)


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